Author’s new book could be made into film or TV series

Nicholas Stanton with his book Shumbachena White Lion, which is about poaching in Zimbabwe

Nick Stanton always dreamed of being a writer but never expected to be approached to put his stories on the silver or small screen.

The dad-of-three, who grew up in Zimbabwe and now lives in Grange Park, has been approached by a filmmaker claiming to be a friend of legendary lion whisperer Kevin Richardson, asking to turn his successful first novel, Shumbachena White Lion, into a short film or television series.

The 50-year-old said: “I have been using social media quite a lot to promote the book and this filmmaker from South Africa contacted me saying he had read the reviews on Amazon and was very impressed.

“He asked whether I thought the story would work as a short film or a television series and I told him I did.”

Nick, who works as a security manager for Zurich in Swindon, was inspired by his experiences growing up in Africa to create a children’s fantasy series.

The stories revolve around the life of a Save the Rhino ranger in the African bush and his adventures with animals, poachers, and journeys into other worlds.

He released the first of what he hopes to be a series of seven children’s fantasy novels last October.

He said: “It just came to me when I was lying in the bath one time.

“I lived in Zimbabwe – or Rhodesia as it was called then – for 26 years and many of the characters in the book are based on my life and I have written it in the first person.

“My brother has written a book as well so now we have two authors in the family.

“Africa is still very much in my memories. The experiences of my early days remain vivid and I wanted to channel them.”

Nick chose the title of the book after a nickname his wife Patricia gave him.

He said: “Everybody always laughs but the title of a book is actually a nickname that my wife gave me. Shumbachna means white lion.

“In the book the professor’s wife is Jeanne Stanton, my mother, who sadly passed away one year after returning with us back to Swindon in 2000.”

As a father Nick also believes in the importance of reading, and has donated his novel to three schools in Swindon.

He said: “I think books and reading are things every child should have access to and I don’t think they should have to pay for it.

“It’s a skill they can take throughout their life.”

You can order Shumbachena White Lion in print or download the Kindle e-book version from www.amazon.co.uk.